TECHNICIAN
2 TECHNICIAN
ELECTION RESULTS:
President
Donald J. Trump (R)
U.S. House of Representatives (District 2)
Deborah K. Ross (D)
Governor
Josh Stein (D)
Lieutenant Governor
Rachel Hunt (D)
Attorney General
Jeff Jackson (D)
Auditor
Dave Boliek (R)
Commissioner of Agriculture
Steve Troxler (R)
Commissioner of Insurance
Mike Causey (R)
Commissioner of Labor
Luke Farley (R)
Secretary of State
Elaine Marshall (D)
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Mo Green (D)
Treasurer
Brad Briner (R)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 06
Jefferson G. Griffin (R)
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN
Redshirt freshman safety Zack Myers runs off the field to the locker room with the team before NC State’s game against Stanford in Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. The Wolfpack beat the Cardinal 59-28.
Josh Stein wins NC governor’s race, handily defeats Mark Robinson
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
Attorney General Josh Stein is projected to win the North Carolina gubernatorial race. The Associated Press called the race around 8:50 p.m. on Tuesday, less than two hours after polls closed in the state.
Stein ran on a platform of funding public schools, addressing housing affordability, supporting veterans and small businesses and protecting reproductive rights, including access to in vitro fertilization, or IVF.
Stein’s early victory is of no surprise to most after his Republican opponent Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was the subject of controversy for online comments reported by CNN in which he referred to himself as a “Black Nazi.”
Stein celebrated his win in a speech, saying he ran for governor because of his love for his home state of North Carolina.
“We chose hope over hate, competence over chaos, decency over division,” Stein said. “That’s who we are as North Carolinians, and I am so honored that you have elected me to be your next governor.”
Gov. Roy Cooper spoke in support of Stein shortly after news broke and preceded Stein on stage, saying Stein has a “servant’s heart.”
“We needed a person with integrity and grit,” Cooper said. “We needed a person who will work with anyone to get the job done. We needed a person who will never back down from doing the right thing. We need a person who would blaze his own trails, and we got that tonight.”
In a speech to his supporters, Robinson said he was proud to have run a race that was “upright and decent” and where he “did not have to lie.”
“I’m not sad one lick, but I’m a little disap-
pointed,” Robinson said. “I’m disappointed for you, because I wanted this so bad for you. I wanted this for the people of North Carolina, not for me.”
Stein emphasized his desire to work across party lines during his term.
“If I didn’t earn your vote, I hope to earn your trust by working hard for you as gov-
CRIME ON CAMPUS
NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus.
ASSIST OTHER AGENCY
Nov. 3, 2024 at 1:20 p.m.
Memorial Belltower
A nonaffiliated individual spotted by RPD matched a BOLO, and was trespassed from campus.
DOMESTIC DISPUTE
Nov. 2, 2024 at 2:41 p.m.
Talley Student Union
Two nonaffiliated involved in a domestic dispute at this location.
ernor,” Stein said. “I pledge to listen and work across party lines to do what’s right for North Carolina, because no person or party has a monopoly on good ideas.”
Stein is North Carolina’s first Jewish governor. This is the third election in a row North Carolina has elected a Democratic governor. In both 2016 and 2020, North
Carolina split the ballot by electing Cooper but seeing Trump win the state’s electoral votes.
With 97% of the votes counted as of Nov. 6, Stein garnered just under 55% of the vote with over three million ballots casted for him.
All incidents in the crime log are, according to the University’s daily crime log, published online in compliance with the Clery Act.
FOUND PROPERTY
Nov. 1 at 10:11 a.m.
Varsity Dr. Lot
A student was referred to the University after his wallet was found and contained a fictitious identification.
INDECENT EXPOSURE
Oct. 31 at 11:37 a.m.
Memorial Belltower
Unknown male removed his clothing and left the area before police arrived.
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN North Carolina Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate, Josh Stein, speaks during the Kamala Harris campaign rally at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2024. Stein talked about the significance of voting for the national and local races like his own.
Janet Cowell celebrates mayoral victory in Downtown Raleigh
Bastian Hauser Staff Writer
Janet Cowell, former state treasurer and longtime political figure in Raleigh, has been elected as the city’s next mayor, securing a decisive victory with 60% of the vote in a five-way race.
Cowell celebrated her win at a watch party Tuesday night at Birdie’s Barroom & Kitchen, an upscale restaurant just a five-minute walk from the Raleigh mayor’s office. The outdoor party featured a white marquee with standing tables, a stage with an American flag and large screens displaying election coverage.
Cowell took the stage at 9.30 p.m. before official results were announced to declare her victory.
“I have gotten 60% of the early votes,” Cowell said. “So while they have not called it, I think I’m comfortable calling it.”
The crowd responded with laughter and applause.
Cowell campaigned on housing affordability, public safety, environmental protection and downtown revitalization. She will succeed twoterm Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, who did not seek re-election.
With 27 years of experience in Raleigh politics, Cowell’s extensive network and successful fundraising efforts contributed significantly to her win. She raised $550,899, the most of all mayor and city council candidates this year by far. About $30,000 came out of her own pocket, and she received almost 850 individual donations.
“About 25% came from people who have interest in development and construction and engineering in the city, a little more transactional,” Cowell said. “But the other 75% of the money is all from friends, family, people who believe in me; they have no dog in the fight.”
Cowell sat on the city council from 2001 to
celebrate her victory as well as watch the races on election night.
2004, represented Raleigh in the state senate from 2004 and 2008, served two terms as state treasurer until 2017 and was president of Dix Park Conservancy from 2021 to 2024.
Her experience resonated with voters and supporters alike. Summer Pease, a second-year studying political science at NC State and a campaign intern for Cowell, said she appreciated Cowell’s bipartisan appeal.
“I really liked how she is endorsed by the Democratic Party but is definitely a bipartisan candidate,” Pease said.
Inés M. Palacios, a board member of Dix Park Conservancy, who did her undergraduate,
graduate and PhD studies in parks and recreation at NC State, said she is a not permanent resident of the United States and therefore can not vote yet, but supported Cowell with a donation.
Palacios said Cowell’s focus on sustainable development won her endorsement.
“[Cowell] is for public spaces, green spaces, open spaces and because of my background in parks and recreation, that really interests me as well,” Palacios said.
Cowell, who grew up United Methodist, and whose favorite book is the Bible, made a concerted effort to connect with Raleigh’s
diverse communities. She said she visited 15 to 20 places of worship during her campaign.
“I’ve been to a lot of churches,” Cowell said. “It has been really strong to be with the faith community and the congregations in Raleigh and mosques and synagogues.”
Looking ahead, Cowell emphasized the importance of collaboration with the city council and the city manager.
“The mayor has to work very closely with not only the council, but with the city manager,” Cowell said. “I will be talking to her tomorrow morning to start the work already of planning for both the swearing-in and all the work that has to be done.”
Cowell’s victory was decisive, with her nearest competitor, Paul Fitts, receiving only 18% of the vote. Terrance Ruth, who many projected as her main opposition, received just 11%.
Cowell said she was thankful that the other candidates stepped up to the plate to offer their vision and ideas for the city.
One of her opponents, James Shaughnessy IV, even showed up to Cowell’s party. Shaughnessy said he knew it would be an uphill battle for him, that all the candidates had great relations and that it’s been a very friendly race.
Shaughnessy later helped one of Cowell’s supporters by taking a picture of the supporter and Cowell.
Cowell ended her victory speech with a promise of collaboration between herself and the people of Raleigh.
“All of you who are here who have given me your advice, the policy, the council — I look forward to working with all of you on the first 100 days, the first year, planning that transition to get really good things done for Raleigh and make it a city that works for everyone,” Cowell said. “So thank you very much. I’m very honored to have won this race tonight.”
Wake County GOP celebrates federal, state wins
Pierce Bruns Correspondent
Republicans congregated at a Cary hotel on election night to support Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency. Supporters felt optimistic about Trump’s chances of winning — hours later, he did just that.
The Wake County Republican Party hosted the event, but not all of the attendees were partisan. Chris Boone, a US Postal Service worker, is an independent voter who was looking for a social event to watch the count.
“I just wanted to find a watch party period, whoever was hosting it,” Boone said. “It just so happened that the NC GOP was hosting a party.
Because the one thing I’m not gonna do is bash either side.”
For Boone, balancing the budget is an important issue, and he believes Trump is the most capable candidate.
“I definitely think conservatives are better with money because they’re conserving this by, you know, by the very nature of the name I’m here to spend as little as possible,” Boone said. “So by nature, conservatives are better because they understand the importance of money.”
Drew Dimeglio, the vice chair of the North Carolina Teen Republicans, said spending was his primary motivator for supporting Trump.
“Number one is stopping the bleeding,” Dimeg-
lio said. “It’s not going to be immediate, but it’s just going to be course-correcting from what happened in the Biden-Harris administration.”
Paul Meyers, a senior director at a data company, also emphasized the economy and price hikes in his decision to vote for Donald Trump.
“Prices are still higher than they were four years ago,” Meyers said. “So you’re not getting back to four years ago.”
Meyers said he doesn’t believe a corporate sales tax works to reduce prices, emphasizing how corporate taxes are only passed on to consumers.
“He understands that you don’t add taxes on top of a company, all they do is pass the numbers along,” Meyers said.
Inflation is also an important factor in Meyers’ support for Trump. He believes that although inflation has come down, prices are too high. However, Meyers is willing to endure Trump’s proposed 30% tariff on imported goods.
Immigration and the southern border were also important issues for voters at the event. Karl Roth, the GOP candidate for District Court Judge 10D seat 3, believes that the U.S. is a nation built on immigration, but that the system needs reform.
GOP continued page 6
ALEX MANUEL/TECHNICIAN
Raleigh Mayor-elect Janet Cowell speaks to a supporter during her watch party event at Birdie’s Barroom and Kitchen on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. During the event, supporters of Cowell and democratic voters gathered for dinner to
Inflation, bro-code and charisma: How Trump won according to NC State experts
bated by Trump’s policy.
President-elect Donald Trump secured victory in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris and sweeping all five swing states counted thus far. Political science experts at NC State weighed in on the factors that contributed to Trump’s success and the implications for American politics.
Steven Greene and Andrew Taylor, professors of political science, said economic factors and dissatisfaction with the incumbent administration were key drivers of Trump’s victory in a post-election forum held at Winston Hall on Wednesday.
“People are very dissatisfied with the state of the economy,” Greene said. “People are very dissatisfied with the incumbent president, and that is a recipe for the incumbent president’s party to lose.”
Greene said this trend has been seen not only in the United States but also around the world.
Elizabeth Lane, assistant professor of political science, said while the economic situation has improved in the United States, voters’ perceptions didn’t reflect that.
“When you look at a lot of economic charts with regard to inflation for example, every single developed country ... has felt huge effects from inflation,” Lane said. “If you look who has rebounded the best from that inflation, it’s the United States.”
Michael Struett, political science department chair, said Trump can credit most of his economic rapport to former President Barack Obama, as economic policy and tax codes often take years to show their effects. He also said Biden inherited inflation which was exacer-
“People frame it as though, the day a president takes office, starting on Jan. 20, the inflation rate or the unemployment rate is their responsibility from the next day,” Struett said.
The professors said there has been discussion about significant shifts in voting patterns among key demographic groups, particularly among the Latinx community and young men.
Taylor said the shift in the Latinx community might have been due to older Latinos resonating with Trump’s immigration policy.
“There’s a lot of talk that people, particularly older Hispanics, particularly males, are actually pretty hardcore on immigration,” Taylor said. “And the story is that they came here legally and they see new people just rushing over the border as line-jumpers, and that there’s a process, and there’s a way that you do it.”
Struett said Trump’s alliance with billionaire Elon Musk and his masculine approach to politics attracted young males who otherwise wouldn’t have voted.
“The campaign mobilized disaffected young men ages 20 to 35 who, political scientists, including me, would have told you last week, [were] pretty unlikely to turn out,” Struett said. “ … [They are] living pretty busy, complicated, working lives. Don’t necessarily know why they should vote or care. Tend to be pretty indifferent whether it’s a Democrat or Republican in the White House, and yet, somehow they convinced him that Trump was their guy.”
Lane said Harris struggled to distance herself from the Biden administration, which was a vital issue for
her campaign.
“Biden is an incredibly unpopular president right now, and Harris, unfortunately, is connected to that, and she didn’t really do anything to distance herself,” Lane said.
Greene said Harris failed to capitalize on issues that have been growing popular in the country.
“I think she really needed to kind of give people more of a reason from why she was not the 2019 Kamala Harris, other than pure political expediency, and I will never understand why they didn’t run on raising the minimum wage and protecting health care for people with pre-existing conditions, discussing what J.D. Vance said he would take away,” Greene said. “I don’t get that.”
Taylor said ultimately, Harris’ performance had less to do with her campaign, but rather with trends seen across the country.
“I don’t think Kamala Harris ran a particularly bad campaign,” Taylor said. “I don’t think it was a particularly good one, but I don’t think Democrats can say, ‘What were we thinking?’”
Struett said Trump has long been building a charismatic persona that riles his base.
“Trump still is the character from ‘The Apprentice,’” Struett said. “He very successfully built the national brand for himself over a decade before he even entered politics and that stuck.”
Greene said Trump’s unique political persona was a crucial element of his victory.
“He’s Trump,” Greene said. “There’s nobody else like Trump in American politics, possibly ever. He’s a political unicorn.”
WILLIAM FLATHMANN/TECHNICIAN
President-elect Donald Trump speaks to an enthusiastic crowd at his rally at J.S. Dorton Arena on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. Trump petitioned the crowd to go vote ahead of the election and to bring their friends to vote.
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
6 TECHNICIAN
What a Democratic North Carolina Council of State means in Trump’s America
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
North Carolina voters sent a clear but complex message in Tuesday’s election, embracing President-elect Donald Trump while simultaneously rejecting controversial Republican candidates in Council of State races.
Democrats secured several positions on the Council of State. Josh Stein won the governorship, Jeff Jackson claimed the attorney general’s office, Rachel Hunt secured the lieutenant governor position, Mo Green prevailed in the office of superintendent of public instruction and Elaine Marshall won her re-election as secretary of state.
What’s more is that Democrats broke the state’s Republican supermajority with the flipping of state Rep. Ken Fontenot’s seat to Dante Pittman, a Democrat. With this development, Governorelect Josh Stein will have the power to veto legislative bills. Gov. Roy Cooper lost his veto after Trisha Cotham switched parties last year.
Most notably, Robinson and Michele Morrow, the Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction, received national attention for their far-right views, with CNN reporting Robinson’s comments on a porn website where he called himself a “Black Nazi,” and when Morrow called for the public executions of former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden.
Robinson lost his election by over 800,000 votes, and Morrow by almost 120,000 votes in a state where Trump won by over 190,000 votes.
This split-ticket voting pattern reveals a nuanced electorate capable of distinguishing between national political allegiances and local governance priorities — where voters could see the most impact in their lives.
Political Science Department Chair Michael Struett said North Carolina has a history of splitting the ticket, most recently with Cooper winning two terms at the same time Trump also won the state.
Struett said this is largely due to the quality of
continued from page 4
“People need to go through the system,” Roth said. “We shouldn’t just open the doors because we don’t know who’s coming into the country. Most of those people are going to do no harm, but there are some people who live in a dangerous world that are not being properly vetted, and we just can’t continue to accept the flood of immigrants that we have.”
Dimeglio said the border is a major issue in the election, advocating for a more patrolled border with merit-based immigration.
“I think legal immigration is great, especially merit-based legal immigration,” Dimeglio said. “But with regards to the border, the number one
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN
North Carolina Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate, Josh Stein, walks on stage during the Kamala Harris campaign rally at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2024. Stein talked about the significance of voting for the national and local races like his own.
candidates.
“In recent years, the Democrats have had really good candidates,” Struett said. “It seems to be the case that whoever those swing voters are, they prefer Republicans for the statewide judicial positions on the North Carolina Supreme Court. … I don’t know exactly what to make of it, except that obviously Robinson and to some extent, Michele Morrow, were terrible candidates.”
While North Carolina’s legislative veto has proven powerful in the hands of Democratic governors, such as when Cooper vetoed the state budget multiple times and a bill that required voter ID in his first term, Struett said Stein’s veto would
concern has to be safety, because you see the cartels coming in. … You also see fentanyl-related deaths, overdoses, that are directly linked to the cartels, and we are doing nothing about it.”
Religious values were also an important factor for event attendees. Ethan Finberg, a chemical engineer, believes moral controversies are more pressing than economics and fiscal policy in this election.
“You have a large religious community out there that have seen politics put its hand in moral issues,” Finberg said. “So now you have people that may not care about economic issues at all, but now you have two parties putting their hands in moral issues, and it’s forcing them to be involved.”
Finberg said aspirations of politicians are more important than actions, defining a difference between right and wrong moral codes when it comes to Trump’s past interactions.
likely be ineffective against a Trump presidency supported by a red U.S. House and Senate.
“Most of the things that Trump wants to do are at the federal level, and I don’t know that Stein will have much ability to stop him,” Struett said. “I’m not even sure he should try right in many ways. You want the federal government to be successful if you’re the governor of a state, sort of whether the federal government’s from your party or not.”
This rings especially true for Trump’s immigration plan, in which he hopes to conduct mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Deportations are carried out by the federal government, specifically the U.S. Immigration and
“The difference between the Republican Party and the progressive liberal party is that the liberal party is trying to accept things,” Finberg said.
“The conservative party says, ‘No we want to hold conservative to true Judeo-Christian values’, and they might not reflect it. I don’t think Trump is the best Christian out there, but he obviously sees the importance and responsibility of conserving those values.”
For the event’s attendees, the overturn of Roe v. Wade solved the issue of abortion by putting it back in the hands of the states. Boone said it surprised him that the issue was such a large talking point this election cycle.
“I was surprised at how big of an issue it was,” Boone said. “Because to me it’s not number one. This overturning of Roe v. Wade, out of 10 issues, is probably 15.”
Members of the Wake County GOP said this
Customs Enforcement, which is housed in the Department of Homeland Security. They often call on the assistance of local law enforcement to carry out their operations.
Struett said the state government can actively not participate in deportations, but it can do little to halt them.
“It probably is significant that North Carolina statewide government’s not going to want to cooperate directly in those kinds of operations, depending on how the Trump administration goes about it, they may or may not have any option,” Struett said. “I mean, there’s some things that they can do, but their levers are relatively weak for controlling local law enforcement capabilities.”
Despite the Republicans gaining the presidency and legislature, the state’s abortion landscape may remain relatively stable. The current abortion law in North Carolina, while restrictive in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, is not among the most severe in the country.
Elizabeth Lane, an assistant professor of political science, said she doesn’t see further restrictions on abortion as a possibility under Stein’s veto unless the State Assembly were to put out an initiative on the ballot calling for an abortion ban. But given national trends towards believing in abortion rights, she also sees this as unlikely. “I would assume that the status quo is maintained unless the Republicans at the federal level decide, ‘Oh no, we don’t think this should be left up to the states,’” Lane said. “We do know J.D. Vance at one point, despite him saying that he never called for it, did allude to a national abortion ban. So that, to me, seems like it would be a greater possibility of change than something happening within just the state of North Carolina.”
With the supermajority broken and Trump’s second presidency coming into fruition, North Carolina is facing a future dependent on whether issues are made federal or left up to the states. Under Stein’s leadership, the state will hold onto its current policy where it can.
election would be less controversial than the election of Joe Biden in 2020. For Finberg, modern elections are always questionable due to the variance in state laws across the country, but admitted that he would accept the results.
“I mean accepting results nowadays is kind of a questionable thing, just in general, where there always could have been and should have been,” Finberg said. “I think even if Kamala won, like very obviously, I think people would still be upset about that.”
Finberg compared the election to the Super Bowl, in which someone will be upset no matter the victor.
“Let’s say your favorite football team loses, you’re going to find a reason to be angry at the ref, at that one play on that one thing, but it doesn’t matter,” Finberg said. “The team won, it’s announced, the Super Bowl is given to them.”
Letter from the editors: We will not cower
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
Ethan Bakogiannnis & Justin Welch Managing Editors
In the early hours of Nov. 6, it became clear that now president-elect Donald Trump would once again become America’s commander in chief. The Associated Press officially called the race shortly before the sun rose in North Carolina.
As the senior leadership trio of our publication, we are motivated enough to recognize what Trump’s win could mean for journalism as an institution. It’s a pillar of American society rooted in its commitment to transparency, accountability and truth.
As believers in democracy, we value that institution deeply, but as journalists, we stake our lives on it.
Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the press throughout his political career. This has only ramped up in recent months, headlined by Trump saying at a Pennsylvania rally — just two days before Election Day — “To get to me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don’t mind that so much.”
The press is often referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy. Trump has historically not honored this classification, calling the media the “enemy of the people,” alluding to jailing reporters on several occasions, continually degrading female reporters, cutting off access to journalists — as recently as the night of his reelection — and intentionally sowing general distrust of the media amongst the public.
We’ve experienced this firsthand. At Trump’s rally in Raleigh ahead of Election Day, he referred directly to the press pool where our editor-in-chief Kate Denning and several other local and national reporters stood as the “fake news,” saying we should be ashamed. This resulted in audience members booing, pointing at and even video recording those in the pool.
As student journalists, this was an abrupt baptism into the pool of Trump’s draconian media philosophy. We were automatically assumed to be the “fake news,” immediately branded as another prejudiced, conniving publication bent on misleading the American public.
As a group of students who pride ourselves on practicing traditional journalistic values, it was a bleak introduction to a seemingly hopeless future — one where that pillar of American democracy is carelessly and spitefully discarded. In its place, Trump instead presents the lazy,
thoughtless label of “fake news” to any journalist or publication attempting to accomplish its basic function. Unfortunately, that even includes students.
Trump’s political brand has been fundamentally constructed on misinformation and the denigration of the “fake news” media. While legacy media’s hands are certainly not squeaky clean, and should always be subject to critical analysis, the baseline assumption for all journalists is to pursue and platform the objective truth. Reporters are born and bred by a number of journalistic principles and ethical guidelines intended to ensure holistic and unbiased coverage.
In student media, this sentiment holds especially true. While large media conglomerates are subject to the heavy financial and political pressures of the modern world, university publications are free from these influences. At Technician, there is no structural overarching influence that provides input on what we publish. We have no stake other than distributing factual knowledge for our community.
As students who practice and preach these values, it feels like the rug is being pulled out from under us by the figure who is expected to uphold those very values of truth and justice — the President of the United States.
The American electorate should be vigilant in their consumption of media, but
don’t turn your back on journalism. The entities who produce the articles you see online are composed of real people who strain themselves to provide thoughtful and verifiable information for the public. We fully expect this attack on the press, and thus an attack on democracy, to continue in Trump’s next term. But just because it is sure to come, doesn’t mean we are going to let it interfere in our mission to inform the public and deliver the truth.
In his 1948 essay “On Living in an Atomic Age,” author C.S. Lewis wrote, “If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things — praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts — not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.”
We as journalists will not allow ourselves to dwell over what feels like the looming threat to our vocation and dedication to upholding democracy. Instead, we commit to relentlessly and fiercely continuing in the pursuit of truth, even when it’s unpopular, even when it feels futile.
We will continue, here at Technician and beyond, to do the sensible thing of seeking out what is true and calling out what is not, even when that mission is under attack.
The Democrats have used us and failed us
Crawford Opinion Editor
Nearly everyone checks their phone as soon as they wake up, a habit scientists have warned against. The morning of Nov. 6 was the first time I’ve felt genuine remorse for my habit. Ignorance is bliss, right?
I went to sleep the night before cautiously hopeful and vaguely optimistic that Kamala Harris would secure the 44 electoral votes blue wall states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania would provide and maintain Democratic control of the White House.
When I woke up, my hope was swallowed by the acidic knot that formed in my stomach while reading headlines detailing Donald Trump’s victory.
At first, I was enraged by the people who voted for Donald Trump. Particularly dismayed by the young, college-aged men who’ve flown Trump flags from their trucks and porches with little to no knowledge of what the man actually stands for, I could physically feel my blood pressure rising. It was similar to the rage I felt in 2020 when I’d learn a long-held friend of mine was voting for Trump.
But the objects of my outrage soon shifted
the longer I sat with the feeling of impending doom.
Sure, Trump voters might hate women, people of color and other marginalized communities more than they hate a rapist and convicted felon, but they are not the most to blame.
The Democrats’ campaign strategy — with their focus on the presidential race rather than down ballot votes, their reliance on celebrity endorsements and their unwavering support for Joe Biden until he dropped out of the race in late July — certainly needs revamping. However, I take most issue with the party’s simultaneous exploitation and silencing of marginalized communities, the very people they swore to serve if they won this election.
It is a political strategy issue, certainly, but more importantly, it is a moral issue.
The most obvious group that the Democrats neglected are Palestinians. After refusing to allow a Palestinian to speak at the Democratic National Convention and Harris’s adherence to Biden’s pro-Israel stances, much of the community found themselves at a moral crossroads and were unable to give Harris their vote.
Despite hitting battleground state after battleground state in the days leading up to the election, Harris could not mobilize the
large Muslim population in Michigan due to consistent efforts from the Democrats to silence Palestinian voices and concerns over their party platform.
Harris attempted to play both sides, too, saying she’d end the war in Gaza but also ensure Israeli security. Palestinian voters needed her to take a strong, unwavering stance, and that did not happen.
Simply put, the Democrats lost crucial votes needed to win this election due to their own moderate and elitist politics that excluded Palestinians and their allies.
Palestinians were not the only marginalized community absent from Democrats’ concerns. After the Democratic National Convention, many were infuriated by the lack of attention given to transgender rights. Of course, transgender rights grew more central to Harris’s campaign after Trump’s ignorant claims that she wants to do “transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison.”
Given Trump’s dangerous and disgusting rhetoric surrounding transgender rights as perpetuated by his political advertisements, it makes sense that many transgender Americans backed Harris. However, this is only because of the extremism in Trump’s stances — not because Harris and the Democrats care
to uplift transgender identities.
Not only did Harris and the Democrats weaponize the fear of LGBTQ+ people for the benefit of their campaign, but they also weaponized the fear of women.
With the pending Trump presidency, it is no secret that reproductive rights are in danger. The Harris campaign utilized the threat of a national abortion ban to their favor in numerous political ads. One of these ads was a oneminute clip where a young woman details the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her stepfather when she was a child. These kinds of ads are more reminiscent of trauma porn than actual attempts to mobilize voters.
While the Democrats certainly hold prochoice stances and would’ve protected reproductive rights if they’d taken the White House, the fact that women’s fears were exploited for the purpose of a campaign strategy is abhorrent and disappointing.
If Democrats spent half as much time genuinely marketing themselves to Americans as they did exploiting the concerns and pain of marginalized communities, maybe they wouldn’t have lost to Trump twice.
I feel disappointed by the Republicans’ victory, but I feel betrayed by the Democrats’ loss.
Skye
Targeting young voters came too little, too late for NC
Both major 2024 presidential campaigns decided a viable road to election success was targeting the youth. For years, it has been asserted that young people, who usually vote less than older generations, have the potential to decide any election outcome.
After incumbent President Joe Biden ended his bid for reelection in July, Vice President Kamala Harris began her efforts as the Democratic candidate. Many notable attempts to gain the support of young voters were used by the HarrisWalz campaign during the four months leading to the November election.
Considering their popularity amongst the youth, Harris-Walz could have secured North Carolina’s electoral votes with the support of young voters here.
Instead, NC was the first battleground state determined in the 2024 Presidential Election — and voted in support of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Macy Harris, a first-year in design studies, doubts that any of the bipartisan techniques used could have changed young voter’s plans.
When discussing strategies used by each campaign, Macy Harris said, “I think it’s funny … but I was already gonna vote for Kamala. I see [Trump’s headquarters] do TikTok all the time and I do not want to vote for that man.”
Each campaign used social media platforms popular with youth, like TikTok, in attempts to sway young voters. Other targeted techniques, like the Harris-Walz campaign releasing a Fortnite map a week before Election Day, were specifically designed for these populations.
Both major party candidates campaigned through podcasts as well. Trump was interviewed by the nation’s top podcaster, Joe Rogan, this October. The second most popular podcast, ‘Call Her Daddy,’ interviewed Harris. In both cases, episodes were released less than a month before polls closed.
Mid-October, I saw that music legend Stevie Wonder was coming to North Carolina. It wasn’t until after getting tickets
that I realized the tour dates were intended to influence voters in battleground states. I can honestly say that the concert didn’t sway me one way or the other; I just wanted to see Stevie Wonder perform.
“I think that everybody already has their opinion set,” Macy Harris said. “There’s honestly no changing, especially Gen Z’s, opinions. I think that the only opinions that you could maybe sway are people that are older.”
Kendriq Williams, 24, also wasn’t affected by recent campaign techniques.
“They used rappers to come out to their rallies to get people’s attention,” Williams said. “Personally, it didn’t impact me.”
Williams also believes celebrity support won’t work on most young voters.
“I feel like the tactics work on simpleminded people,” Williams said. “I feel like a regular, rational person, would already have their mind made up and they will go based off of policies.”
At the end of the day, young people weren’t debating who to vote for, but whether to vote at all.
Reaching voters alone doesn’t guarantee their support. When 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton encouraged young voters to “Pokémon go to the polls,” she ended up creating a cultural phenomenon.
Kusal Sam, a 23-year-old studying data science at Wake Tech, also shared doubts about the effectiveness of targeted techniques doing much more than amusing youth.
“The intention is to get people to vote, but people will make a meme out of it, make fun of it,” Sam said. “I’ve seen plenty of videos of people playing on [the HarrisWalz] Fortnite map.”
It’s clear that celebrities, social media and video game tactics didn’t work on young voters.
So, what could?
Jessica Joyner, 42, believes education is the key to motivate young voters.
“School should start enlightening kids more about voting,” Joyner said. “Just don’t tell them, ‘Oh, go vote.’ No, take them to a field trip to the polls and show them how to vote. … If you just throw a ballot in front of me, I don’t know nothing.”
This kind of information is exactly what young voters need. Unless communities walk the youth through the process, how can they be expected to understand what’s being asked of them on Election Day?
Both Williams and Macy Harris believe policy focus would be better at getting young people to cast ballots for a specific candidate. Advertisements for presidential and local elections frequently focus on individuals comparing their character to their rivals instead of what platforms intend to do. Regardless, this election wasn’t enough to significantly impact or inspire young voters.
Don’t tell people why someone else is bad — tell them what, and how, you plan to do better.
Mobilizing young voters isn’t impossible, but to actually get them in the polls, campaigns need a different approach. Any candidate seeking support of young voters needs to inform them on policies and voting mechanics, instead of just getting their attention.
GRAPHIC BY MAXX ALSOP
Jordan Birkner Correspondent
North Carolina’s governor’s race wasn’t close, but its results are still alarming
Skye Crawford Opinion Editor
Josh Stein’s unsurprising victory in North Carolina’s gubernatorial race was one of the earlier results to be called on election night. What’s truly surprising, however, is that a self-proclaimed Nazi still received support from just over 40% of North Carolinians who cast their vote.
Robinson’s disgusting and reprehensible views on gay and transgender rights, gun safety and abortion aren’t a secret, and they’re far from new knowledge. I won’t beat a dead horse; Technician has covered plenty regarding the lieutenant governor’s bigotry. Additionally, many major news outlets have discussed Robinson’s controversies, which is why I cannot fathom how this man could get even one person to vote for him.
It’s possible that Robinson was able to
retain more than a handful of supporters because he repeatedly denied allegations against him. He denied having said on online porn forums that slavery is not bad and that he is a perv with an affinity for transgender porn. And why listen to the woke liberal media when you can easily take Robinson at his word?
Even scarier than Robinson’s lies is our president-elect Donald Trump’s admiration of him. In a rally earlier this year, Trump endorsed Robinson and compared him to Martin Luther King Jr., stating, “I think you are Martin Luther King times two.”
Whatever that means.
Trump and his campaign team were noticeably silent after Robinson’s scandal came out — likely due to North Carolina being a key battleground state in the election and not wanting to disrupt the conservative peace — with Trump even claiming to be “unfamiliar” with North Carolina’s governor’s race.
This raises larger concerns over how far citizens will go for the sake of party-line voting, or the practice in which members of one political party tend to vote the same way.
Recently, Americans have caught a glimpse of hope with numerous Republicans, including Dick Cheney and Stephanie Grisham, speaking against voting for Donald Trump, but the rejection of a politician due to their threats to democracy and general human decency apparently did not trickle down to North Carolina’s governor race.
In his concession speech, Robinson suggested he may run for governmental offices in the future, and in the past, he has expressed interest in running for a U.S. Senate seat. The Senate and House are either confirmed or trending red in the 2024 election, and support for Robinson across North Carolina makes him a not improbable candidate to take a seat in the 2026
midterm elections.
After all, I did see numerous “Mark Robinson Governor” signs still littered — yes, like trash — in people’s yards and along streets the morning of Nov. 6 despite his clear loss on election night.
With Stein winning the race for governor, I have a small degree of hope for our state and country, at least in the immediate future. However, I have limited hope for the long-term future if Americans continue to vote along party lines without considering the implications of electing someone so abhorrent to humanity. It is imperative that between now and the next time Robinson is up to bat for a governmental office, North Carolinians and Americans alike reflect on the values our elected officials should carry.
The threat of Robinson is like a dormant volcano, and I have no idea if I can trust my fellow North Carolinians to keep it from erupting.
A reckoning for the Democratic Party
Justin Welch Managing Editor
Republicans are going to rock Washington in a different manner this Jan. 6.
Despite all the online “libmaxxing” and good vibes, Democrats again stare down national defeat to a former reality TV star. Despite an insurrection, all the lawsuits and criminal charges and Roe v. Wade, Donald Trump wins again.
And it wasn’t just a win — the man won the popular vote. Defeating the vice president of an incumbent administration overseeing a good economy, with felonies to his name. For Democrats, this is one of the greatest political failures in modern American history.
The next few days will be filled with commentary about what went wrong for the campaign: this demographic didn’t show out like needed; this messaging was poorly framed; this issue was the wrong one to focus on.
It’s none of that. You can’t reorganize and you can’t re-galvinize from this. The problem is the holistic operation and inherent assumptions of the Democratic Party.
The party seemed to have turned a new leaf with Kamala Harris’ ascension. Suddenly their brand was energized again, not as soulless as the Clinton campaign or as out-of-touch as the sitting president.
Harris spoke on issues intended to resonate with a wide array of voters, and did so with vigor
Democrats hadn’t seen since Obama. The mobilization efforts of volunteers and fundraising efforts were unprecedented. She presented the case against Trump like the prosecutor she is, and how her senile boss couldn’t.
But it was still too much the old guard — pun intended — for voters. Though Harris can pander to a jury with the expertise of a lawyer, it doesn’t mean they’ll ultimately believe in her as a candidate.
There’s a reason she was decisively rejected in the 2020 primary. Harris is a career politician who hasn’t ever crafted a brand of politics distinct from what the polls tell her she should base her platform on. You ultimately cannot blame voters for not voting for a candidate they didn’t believe in, and one that gave them nothing genuine to vote for.
Trump continues to win because he at least has an authentic identity that people, for better or worse, resonate with.
I have never come across a single person who told me they were voting for Clinton, Biden or Harris because they believed in them as people, or that the candidate even excited them. Conversely, I don’t know a Trump voter who cast their ballot with a hint of reluctance.
The blame falls again and again on the Democratic Party and the internal system that puts forth these candidates with flawed logic: Who’s going to give us the best chance to beat the other guys, regardless of what our constituents really want? Regardless of the issues we should actually address or what vision would actually be the most beneficial for most Americans?
Trump is one of the most unpopular American politicians of all time. Democrats had three layups in a row, and only scored once. And barely at that — the rim’s diameter was doubled with the help of a global pandemic, and they still watched the ball roll around it before dropping in.
The establishment decision to hand Hillary Clinton the nomination in 2016, simply because it was her turn, is the absolute core of everything we’ve experienced in the years since and the years to come. Clinton was a hollow politician who had been vying for the office for decades and would say anything to get there.
Bernie Sanders was the antithesis of Clinton, whose grassroots support was so powerful it defied internal party operations all the way to the end. Again in 2020, it took almost every primary candidate coalescing against him and behind Biden to stave off his message.
Instead of embracing the passion and popularity of progressive politics, Harris and Democrats decided the best course of action this cycle was to parade around as many Republicans as possible to appeal to the middle. For the love of God, she was singing Dick Cheney’s praises. How feckless a message is that? In what sense does embracing the most notorious warhawk in modern history make you an empathetic campaign?
The GOP isn’t winning on the issues — just look at the number of people who voted for abortion access in individual states, and how the measures outperformed Harris. Missouri, one of the reddest states in the country, easily approved a proposition to hike the minimum wage and guaranteed
paid sick leave.
Progressive populist economic and social initiatives are incredibly popular. The DNC has the institutional power to platform someone who really believes and can build a campaign on these issues, but doesn’t.
Late last night, North Carolina’s Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton took to twitter to share some words of wisdom: “Sometimes God’s own thunder couldn’t make someone do the right thing.”
Point taken. And I love Clayton; I think she is one of the few Democratic strategists in the country that can hold their head high right now. But good Lord if this isn’t the most perfect allegory for the party’s hubris and complete detachment from reality.
Likening Democratic efforts to those of an allknowing benevolent deity. The moral-superiority angle does not work if you continually make the face of your party someone who can only feign empathy and has to get a team of writers to construct her a humanitarian core.
I thought the central message of the Harris campaign, “We are not going back,” would effectively resonate with the median and independent voters the campaign needed to win, and that they would do so comfortably.
Well the American people chose to go back, instead of somewhere forward with you, Dems. The Democratic Party is about a decade too late in taking a look in the mirror, and everything that’s followed is the result of their own infatuation with themselves.
10 TECHNICIAN
Graduate school — motivation or passion?
Kelsey Bohn Correspondent
Trying to decide whether or not to attend graduate school can be confusing and overwhelming. It requires introspection that candidates often overlook when balancing the black and white criteria of applications.
UNC Medical School, NC State Veterinary School and Campbell Law School are competitive graduate schools all located within the Triangle. Although they prepare students for very different professions, admissions professionals from each school seek similar personal growth and mindfulness from prospective students.
Miguel Hernandez is the assistant director of admissions at Campbell’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. Hernandez recommends students prioritize self-discovery to determine if graduate school is the right path for your personal interests.
“Think about your own life design,” Hernandez said. “Think to yourself, ‘What do I care about? What am I really interested in? What do I want to do?’”
If you already know what your graduate plans are, verbalizing your intentions and personal assets can also pose a problem for many applicants. Even if you have a set plan, it can be difficult to properly convey your experience and personal voice through your application.
Graduate schools look for well-rounded applicants, and oftentimes a personal statement or essay is the only lens through which admissions committees can get a sense of your personality and attitude in your initial application.
“Your personal statement is for us on the front end, but it’s going to be for you when you get admitted to law school,” Hernandez said. “During the program, your voice is going to be the thing that’s
EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN
Cows stand in a field outside the Howling Cow Dairy Education Center and Creamery on May 15, 2024. Beyond purchasing ice cream and other dairy goods, one has the opportunity to learn about how these milk products are made.
going to get you through.”
Writing an authentic personal statement means reflecting on your intentions and making sure you’re pursuing graduate school for the right reasons.
But what are the right reasons?
Dr. Rahangdale, MD, MPH, is a professor at UNC School of Medicine in General Obstetrics, Gynecology and Midwifery, along with being the associate dean for admissions. She emphasized that applicants need to focus on allowing the pursuit of personal interests to lead them to their career path.
“Most people don’t necessarily have an epiphany moment,” Rahangdale said. “It’s often a slow burn. You have a collection of experiences that take you here. Explore what you’re interested in and it will take you where you need to be.”
Rahangdale emphasized that your personal motivation is both what gets you into graduate school and also what sustains you until graduation.
Part of determining if graduate school is the right path means ensuring that your motivation comes from internal passion. This means removing external factors like expectation from family members and social pressures when making career decisions.
“If the love of science and taking care of people are the things that you’re willing to stay up late doing, then you have the fire to get through that journey and get into medical school,” Rahangdale said.
“If it’s coming from external sources, it’s not going to be sustainable.”
Another thing emphasized by all admissions professionals was that there’s no timeline for attending graduate school. Each individual is on their own journey.
Jeffrey Huckel, the director of recruitment and outreach at NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, also emphasized that it’s okay to shift your career path at any time.
“You can always change what you’re doing,” Huckel said. “If something comes along years down the road, as long as you’re breathing, you can change and do something different.”
NC State’s veterinary program exceeded 2,000 applications for the incoming class of 2026 — the highest number of applicants they have ever received.
With the number of applicants on an upward trend, Huckel pointed out that a good way to set yourself apart is to focus on how each of your unique components have led you to graduate school and will ultimately enhance your ability to be a professional.
“This is a profession,” Huckel said.
“There’s medicine, business, communications and people skills involved. If a committee member feels confident that an individual understands those things, then they’ll feel more comfortable admitting or waitlisting that person.”
The truth is, there’s no recipe for the perfect graduate candidate.
The most important factors depend on learning to emphasize what sets you apart as an individual. Take time to self reflect and discover what makes you feel fulfilled, and remember that everyone is on their own path.
Culture
Walking through history in downtown Raleigh
Lucy Roseman Correspondent
After the American Revolution, the area where Raleigh is now located was chosen as the future site of the state capital. With Fayetteville Street as the main construction zone, downtown Raleigh holds many stories and interesting pasts.
Andrew Nason, a local historian and current graduate student at NC State, guided and walked a group through some of downtown Raleigh’s most famous historical landmarks, sharing facts about their pasts.
Sir Walter Hotel
The Sir Walter Hotel is located in the middle of Fayetteville Street, which made it a lively spot for early settlers. Nicknamed the “third house of state government,” the Sir Walter Hotel was a gathering place for many legislators in its early days. It also doubled as a speakeasy during the times of prohibition. Later on in the 1970s, the building was turned into a senior living space.
Christ Church
Christ Church was established in downtown Raleigh as the first Episcopal congregation of Raleigh since 1821. This building was completed in 1861, and has a Gothic architectural style to bring in light and express local grandeur. It still holds services and is marked as a historical landmark for downtown Raleigh.
The Briggs Building
A long-standing hardware store, the Briggs Building is one of the only unaltered architectural pieces left in downtown Raleigh. With its unique style of lion heads atop window sills surrounding windows that extend vertically, it stands out as Raleigh’s first skyscraper — standing a whopping 100 feet. The top three floors of the building were rented out to various individuals, one of which was a hunter who stored his taxidermy birds on the top two floors. This man ended up partnering with a local museum to make the earliest form of the NC Museum of Natural Science.
The Capitol Building
The North Carolina Capitol Building opened in 1840 and is still used by the governor and lieutenant governor as a workplace. It used to hold many more state offices, such as the Supreme Court and the chambers of the General Assembly. The building is made of granite, which took some effort to transplant such heavy stone to the site of the Capitol. In order to do so, the workers used what is loosely named the “Experimental Railroad,” North Carolina’s first railroad.
Charles Duncan Mciver Statue
Charles Duncan Mciver was quite the ad-
vocate for excellent education for all people. Since women at the time had limited access to education, they became his focus. He claimed there was a flaw in the education system and took steps to change it. After graduating from NC State, he created a university for girls. It was the first public university where women had opportunities to take classes outside of home economics and dress manufacturing. This school is now known as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Just Like the Liberty Bell
This site holds a bell the exact size, weight and make of the original Liberty Bell before it cracked. Therefore, its ring is the tone
the original would have sounded like when rung. President Harry S. Truman had multiple copies of the Liberty Bell created and distributed to the states — North Carolina’s bell ended up in downtown Raleigh.
Haywood Hall
Haywood Hall was built for North Carolina’s state treasurer of 40 years, John Haywood. His family held ownership of the house until the late 1970s. After Haywood’s death, the state looked closer into his accounts and found that he had stolen a significant amount of money throughout his life. His family ended up paying off a majority of it at the time but maintained their popularity and status, plus the house.
CONTRIBUTED BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The fourth annual Taste of China Festival emphasizes appreciation
From 2018 to 2022, 38,296 people were identified as speakers of Cantonese or Mandarin in North Carolina. 8.7 million people aged five and older speak only English at home.
On Nov. 2, Downtown Cary Park was full of people for the Chinese Food and Culture Festival. Near the southeast side of the park, by the fountain and Market 317 building, were several tents tabiling. Dengwei, or David Huo, is a Chinese folk singer, engineer and General Electric quality control manager. In 1994, he immigrated to the U.S. from Tainan, a coastal peninsula in Taiwan, to earn his PhD in chemistry at Duquesne University. Now, Huo lives in Wilmington, NC and is a member of the RTP Singing Club, who invited him to the festival.
Following a duet, he performed the “Three Gorges Love Song,” about three well known gorges along the Yangtze River in the People’s Republic of China, on the Downtown Cary Park stage.
“The Three Gorges is very beautiful,” Huo said. “If you talk about the Three Gorges, I think any and all Chinese know that. It is part of what we call the Cháng Jiāng the longest river in China, where people are originally from,” Huo said. “That’s the song I sang; the Chinese vocal style. When I was a little kid I would always sing by myself. Something in my spirit, I want to share that.”
“I want to share the culture with people, particularly in the U.S; I want to know people from other countries or nations,” Huo said. “We can share and learn at the same time. I really enjoy this. Not only the performance, but the food, of course. This is a very good activity organized by the Chinese community to promote Chinese culture and make sure people understand each other.”
The festival was hosted by the ChineseAmerican Friendship Association of North Carolina, a non-profit organization whose objectives include fostering friendship amongst Chinese and ChineseAmericans, helping members succeed in American society, protecting the rights of its members and promoting SINOAmerican culture, science and technology exchange.
Lily Liu, a CAFA board member, stood beside their table.
“About 50 people volunteer, we ask the
people to come here at 7 a.m. to set up their tents,” Liu said. “We organize the performances, have the Chinese Gala and many national dances. We also invite many American vendors to come here. We want to connect more people to Chinese culture.”
At another table was Stop the Bleed from UNC-Chapel Hill, a campus-wide joint project among medical students to establish a training program on campus that will provide civilians capabilities to prevent unnecessary death from uncontrolled bleeding. Running the table were undergraduate students and EMTs Michael Lu, Ethan McLaughlin and Anthony Chen, promoting Equitable Cardiac Health Outcomes.
“We’re really about meeting people where they are at,” Lu said. “In standard CPR education, they use songs like ‘Staying Alive.’ We’ve experimented with using different culturally significant songs. For example, there’s a song in a movie, of one of the four classic Chinese novels any Chinese person would know. In English it’s called ‘Journey to the West,’ and in Mandarin Xīyóu Jì.’ I’ve been using that and I’ve been able to see the difference it
truly makes.”
A variety of food was served, ranging from pork baked buns from Wheat in Chapel Hill, Takoyaki, a dish comprised of golden octopus filled balls, atop savory sauce, matcha mayo and scallion from Shinmai Shokudo, Korean style hot dogs from Golden K Dog and turkey legs, funnel cakes and garbage fries from a fairstyled vendor. Empty boxes of clear frying oil piled behind the vendors as a man used a hair dryer to direct smoke away from grilled skewers.
Outside the Mayton building, a golden dragon with green eyes, blue eyebrows and a golden ball in its mouth, was held up on yellow and white-striped poles. In one of the park’s grassy areas, children played with kite streamers resembling dragons.
Attending the festival was a friend group of NC State graduates including Vastral Hawk, Michael Sanderson and Jasmine Royaga.
“I had some unique food that I’ve never tried before,” Hawk said. “I tried like three or four different vendors; a very unique jelly, milk tea that was super good, Okonomiyaki and we had skewers as well.”
Sanderson spoke as well, as the festival
began closing. People began to leave as the sun set while others stayed to sit in the park.
“I think events like this are really good because you bring people from our local communities together,” Sanderson said. “It does a good job of helping bring inclusion. Asia has a huge diaspora of cultures, so people get to come out and showcase. They get to work on their commerce, bring economic opportunity to the community and share what they sell and celebrate.”
The festival offered a place for people of many different cultures to show up and show appreciation for those of different backgrounds. Sanderson, an ancestor of the Lumbee, felt an appreciation for the event and what they were doing.
“I’m Lumbee, so I know what it’s like to be included or not included,” Sanderson said. “I would say, for somebody whose culture is often not included or not captured in studies or research, I think it’s really cool when people can come out and do their own thing and make us feel welcome. ”
ELLIOT JACKSON/TECHNICIAN
Elliott Jackson Correspondent
NC State men’s basketball basks in banner glory
Colby Trotter, Connor VanDerMark Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor
NC State men’s basketball head coach Kevin Keatts and seven returning players from last season’s ACC Championship and Final Four squad took a moment to bask in the glory of last season’s successes when they watched two banners go up in the rafters of the Lenovo Center before the Wolfpack’s season opener against USC-Upstate Monday night.
But that’s the only moment the Wolfpack took to reflect on last season — it moved on from last year and beat the Spartans 97-66, proving there was no hangover from last season’s improbable run.
“I’m glad the game went the way it went,” Keatts said. “I didn’t want to have to hang two banners and just have an okay game. So I’m glad the game turned out the way it did.”
It couldn’t have gone much better for the Wolfpack. All 11 players that logged significant minutes scored. Senior guard Breon Pass scored a career-high 14 points. Senior forward Ben Middlebrooks stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, four blocks and a steal. And the Wolfpack’s transfer class shined in their debut in the red and white.
Keatts welcomed eight newcomers to this year’s roster, which is nothing new for the eight-year coach who had that same amount last season and led them to the program’s first ACC Championship since 1987 and first Final Four since 1983.
He’s had to replace his leading scorer every year since he became the coach in 2017 but Keatts has proved he knows how to find talent in the portal and turn them into his best players. Keatts mentioned graduate guard Michael O’Connell receiving the biggest ovation during player intros and remembers people questioning if he could play at NC State. Then, he became the hero of March.
“We just do a great job — assistant coaches — in developing guys,” Keatts said. “We’ve always done that. We want to continue to do that. I love developing players.”
In the past, Keatts had relied on transfers to be his goto scorers like guards DJ Horne and Jarkel Joiner were but this year he thinks it will be more of a committee approach when it comes to scoring. Against the Spartans, the Wolfpack racked up 20 assists on 38 field goals while four players scored
Members
in double figures.
Last season, during the Wolfpack’s nine-game postseason win streak it had five different leading scorers and played unselfishly. If the season opener was any indication, it seems like this Pack squad will play like that all season.
“I think it’s more of a depth team,” Keatts said. “I think on any given night, anybody is going to lead us in scoring.”
If there was one player who showed he could be the Wolfpack’s number-one scorer, it was senior guard Marcus Hill. Last season at Bowling Green, Hill averaged over 20 points per game, and coming out of the second half, he scored eight of NC State’s first 10 points, all coming from strong drives to the rim.
On one of those drives, Hill hit a spin move around a Spartans’ defender on the way to a layup and he said that’s all he needed to get him going. Similar to Horne last year, Hill just needs to see one shot go in and his confidence rises.
“Usually I get a little quick move that gets me going,” Hill said. “Once I got that spin it got me going and kept me playing so I really needed that.”
Hill was a part of the four-guard starting lineup that Keatts implemented against USC-Upstate. The fast, guard-reliant playstyle was a stark difference from the way the offense ran last season. Having four guards and a big that can run the
floor like Middlebrooks or senior forward Brandon HuntleyHatfield allows for an aggressive and fluid offensive attack. “It makes it much easier for me,” O’Connell said. “I can get an outlet or pitch it ahead or call up a big for a pick and roll. To be able to spread the floor and have so many options makes it easy.”
Although nine of NC State’s 13 scholarship players are upperclassmen, the three freshmen on the roster made positive impacts on the game. Guard Trey Parker hit two 3s, providing a deep threat to an already dangerous Wolfpack offense. Parker also authored two alley-oops to fellow freshman guard Bryce Heard, turning them into an athletic layup and electric dunk in the second half.
“We really built a connection off the court,” Heard said. “That’s where the connection really started and it just bleeds onto the court. We want to get out there and actually play with these guys in a real environment.”
Not to be forgotten, freshman guard Paul McNeil hit a stepback 3-pointer for his first collegiate bucket and NC State’s final shot of the game, capping off an impressive showing for the new recruits.
“I got three really good freshmen,” Keatts said. “All three are going to show glimpses of being a really good player in this uniform.”
Above all, the energy felt different in the Lenovo Center. Compared to some of NC State’s regular season matchups last season, the crowd was loud and exuberant as the Wolfpack began its 2024-25 campaign. The energy was clearly received from the players as Middlebrooks put on a clinic in the first half. In the span of a minute, the big man recorded his third block of the night and knocked down an uncharacteristic long 2-pointer, then immediately stole the inbound pass and notched two more points for NC State.
“I always pride myself on being an energy guy,” Middlebrooks said. “We felt we had a lot of juice going in with a lot of fans in the building. We’re a real high-paced, high-intensity team, so I’m just trying to feed off my teammates and all the energy going on.”
The Wolfpack returns to Lenovo Center on Friday as it hosts Presbyterian. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
Reviving the Wolfpack: How head coach Marc Hubbard turned around NC State men’s soccer
Colby Trotter Sports Editor
When NC State men’s soccer hired Marc Hubbard last winter to become the 10th head coach in program history, there weren’t high expectations for Hubbard to perform well right away.
NC State was coming off its fourthstraight season missing the NCAA Tournament and a second-to- last place finish in the ACC. The Wolfpack was picked to finish 11th in the conference this year, as it was expected to be a rebuilding year for NC
State with a new head coach. Hubbard overhauled the roster, bringing in 14 newcomers, including 11 transfers. While Hubbard brought an impressive resume to Raleigh that included seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances and four America East Tournament Championships at the University of New Hampshire, it seemed like it would take him some time to turn around a struggling program.
Not only was Hubbard having to revitalize the Wolfpack but he had to move his family, which includes five kids, from New
Hampshire to North Carolina. He said this was, of course, a challenge. But that’s what he said before the season started.
“In life, you’re given a lot of choices, and this was ultimately one where if we didn’t take it as a family, we would have regretted it,” Hubbard said. “It’s about getting outside of your comfort zone with this and challenging yourself, whether it be me here as a soccer coach or us as a family, and putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations is where you can see the most growth.”
It’s with that mindset that Hubbard has
done the unthinkable in his first season roaming the sideline at Dail Soccer Stadium. Here is a look at what Hubbard has accomplished already.
NC State had its best seven-game start since 1992, its first time ranked since 2019 and highest ranking since 2018, has beaten a top-10 opponent for the first time since 2018 and scored seven goals in a game for the first time since 1996.
VIOLET BEESLEY/TECHNICIAN
of the NC State Men’s Basketball team watch as their ACC Championship banner is unveiled before the game against USC Upstate in the Lenovo Center on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. NC State defeated USC Upstate 97-66.
14 TECHNICIAN
NC State women’s basketball’s guard trio sparks second-half surge in opener win
On the first possession of the season, No. 9 NC State women’s basketball sophomore guard Zoe Brooks threw the ball out of bounds trying to find graduate center Lizzy Williamson under the basket. The next time down the court, Brooks turned the ball over again, this time on a travel.
Brooks’ two turnovers to start the game were a harbinger for the rest of the first half as NC State had more turnovers than made field goals in the opening two quarters. If there is such a thing as a Final Four hangover, the Wolfpack had it in the first 20 minutes. But the Pack’s three-headed monster of guards — seniors Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James and sophomore Zoe Brooks — weathered the storm in the second half to ensure banner night wasn’t remembered for the wrong reasons.
After combining for just five points in the first half, James and Rivers scored the Wolf-
HUBBARD
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pack’s first 12 points in the third quarter to extend its slim five-point halftime lead over East Tennessee State University. Later in the quarter, Brooks found her rhythm and scored seven points. It was a theme that continued for the last 20 minutes as the trio of guards combined to score 37 of NC State’s 51 second-half points in its 80-55 win over East Tennessee State University Tuesday night at Reynolds Coliseum.
“Our veteran guards have got to be really good,” said head coach Wes Moore. “We just can’t afford them to have off-nights. They’ve got to be ready to play and play extremely well and disciplined on both ends of the floor.”
Last season, NC State was 10th in the country in least turnovers per game, averaging just over 12 per game. But this year’s team is not last year’s team. The Wolfpack recorded 12 turnovers in the first half alone, which led to 10 of the Buccaneers’ 26 points.
“In the first half they had us on lock and they had us down pat,” Brooks said. “We
Those accomplishments would be pretty good for a career, but Hubbard did all of that in just his first season as an NC State coach. When he first arrived in Raleigh, the players noticed an immediate difference.
“When he came in the spring, the standard quickly rose,” said senior midfielder Vusumzi Plamana.
Plamana was one of the holdovers from the previous team, and he could’ve easily not bought into the culture that Hubbard brought over. However, Hubbard got a team with 16 returners and 14 newcomers on the same page, leading to unexpected success in year one.
“They said NC State will always struggle,” said sophomore forward Hakim Karamoko. “But I think the struggles are not forever. It ends eventually and we find success. Last year wasn’t a great season for us and then [Hubbard] came in. There were a lot of talks, but we believed in him. And then he brought a new culture in, very organized and structured.”
For transfer junior midfielder Taig Healy, moving down to NC State was an easy choice. Healy played for Hubbard at New Hampshire and knew exactly what his coach would bring to the Wolfpack.
“It’s the reason I transferred here,” Healy said. “I knew he was going to get the team sorted quickly. He just gets us so organized.”
Not only did Hubbard get a group of new and returning players on the same page and bought into his culture, but he also transformed the Wolfpack on the field. In his nine years coaching New Hampshire, the Wildcats ranked top 10 in the country in goals against average six times with first-place finishes in 2019 and 2021.
Hubbard’s playstyle allowed for more scoring opportuni-
have to do a better job of noticing how teams are playing us and adjusting.”
Brooks had three turnovers alone in the first half but refocused in the second half and recorded zero turnovers on the way to a career-high 21 points.
“Just staying confident and trusting my abilities,” Brooks said. “A bad first half doesn’t define the second half. It’s a whole new game.”
Along with Brooks, Rivers and James also protected the basketball as the Wolfpack only had two turnovers in the second half behind the steady play of the three guards.
“We were sharing the ball a lot more,” said graduate guard Madison Hayes. “You could tell the ball was moving around a lot more. I think that was the main thing, not just letting it stick in one person’s hand and try to do one-on-one all game because it doesn’t work and it showed in the first half.”
One of the biggest mysteries throughout the offseason was the state of the Wolfpack’s post players. With River Baldwin and Mimi
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN
Head coach Marc Hubbard prepares for senior night festivities ahead of the home game against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at Dail Soccer Field on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. The Wolfpack defeated the 10th ranked Mustangs 5-1.
ties with players pressed higher up the field, pinning opponents in their own zone all while maintaining defensive discipline. It’s an area that NC State struggled in last season as it allowed the third most goals in the ACC and second most goals per game while ranking 10th in goals for.
In the first year under Hubbard, NC State finished the regular season fourth in the ACC in goals allowed and fifth in goals against average while ranking sixth in goals per game. It was a dramatic turnaround from a year ago and it can be directly correlated to the coach.
“[Hubbard’s] been great, everybody loves him,” said senior midfielder Will Buete. “Energy has been better, we’re getting a lot of shots now, [it’s] a fun brand to play. … This year we’re pressing a lot higher, winning the ball a lot higher, and then in turn, out in the field creating chances a lot
Collins both graduating last year, NC State was left with a brand new big room, composed of Williamson, sophomore Mallory Collier and freshmen Tilda Trygger and Lorena Awou.
easier.”
Along with implementing a playstyle that drastically improved the team’s on-field performance, Hubbard got his team to embody his mentality and attitude. Three times during the regular season, the Wolfpack tied or took the lead in the 89th minute of the game. It speaks to the nevergive-up mentality of Hubbard and how his team has followed his lead.
“I feel like we fight to the end, and that’s the mentality of our coach,” said sophomore forward Donavan Phillip. “We really try to infuse into us that no matter what, we can still get a result even though it’s not going for us.”
After taking down then-No. 10 SMU for the program’s first top-10 win since 2018, Hubbard who is usually focused on the next opponent reflected on what the past year has been like for him.
“Personally, moving my whole family down here has been a real big challenge,” Hubbard said. “So when you get results like this, it makes it feel a little bit more worth it. I think, just like my family, with transitioning down here the team, it’s just a grind, and you have to just keep it day-by-day.”
What Hubbard has accomplished in just his first year in Raleigh has been nothing short of remarkable but this NC State team still has all of its goals ahead of it. The Wolfpack will host Virginia this Wednesday in the first round of the ACC Tournament and believes it has what it takes to win the second conference championship in the team’s history because of the man roaming its sideline.
“His impact is noticeable,” said senior midfielder Henrique Santos. “Every game, people who come to watch, people that have come to games these previous years; they know how much things have changed positively. You can see it in the way we play, the energy, the atmosphere. I think there’s a general feeling that we can achieve great things this year.”
Colby Trotter, Connor VanDerMark Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor
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COLUMN
McCall’s coaching career should start in Raleigh
Aidan Carlson Assistant Sports Writer
Suffering a devastating concussion against Wake Forest saw the trajectory of graduate quarterback Grayson McCall’s football career change in an instant. A player who had NFL dreams just months ago saw them taken away in an instant.
“I knew, one day the cleats were going to come off and the helmet was going to come off, but for it to happen like that and the way it did, it was just really heartbreaking for me,” McCall said.
Since retiring, McCall has taken on coaching and leadership roles with the football team, a space he said he wanted to move into in his announcement on his Instagram page. Each Saturday, McCall can be seen wearing a headset and coaching up freshman quarterback CJ Bailey.
“I look forward to taking my passion and love for the game into the coaching space to serve and lead the next group of kids with a dream,” McCall wrote on social media.
As McCall took a step back, Bailey took leaps and bounds in the starting role, continuing to improve in every game he plays. In his most recent start, Bailey completed 90% of his passes, throwing more touchdowns than he did incompletions.
According to PFF, Bailey was the highest-graded true freshman across all positions in college football with a grade of 90.7.
“I’m a true freshman, but I don’t even want to call myself that anymore because of Grayson,” Bailey said. “I feel like I’ve just been better because of him. I just feel like I’ve grown out of my title as a freshman because of him.”
Coming in behind the established veteran that McCall is, Bailey probably never had the mindset that he would see the field in meaningful game situations but here we are. Having appeared in eight games and starting in five, Bailey’s improvement has been evident as he shows more command of the offense each week.
Between Bailey’s first start at then-No. 21 Clemson and last week’s game against Stanford, Bailey’s adjusted quarterback rating jumped from 45.9 against the Tigers to 98.4 against the Cardinal.
Bailey’s performance gained national recognition for just how impressive it was. His 98.4 QBR was the highest among any quarterback in Division I and according to 247 Sports’ Clint Brewster, he’s the sixth-best quarterback in the country right now.
“I’ve made a lot of progress since the first game against [Louisiana Tech],”
Bailey said. “I’ve grown a lot, I’ve gotten better every week and it’s just showing I’m getting comfortable being out there.”
It would be unfair to give all the credit to McCall for Bailey’s success, but you have to wonder would the improvements have been this quick without his presence?
“He’s been a great help, he’s been a great leader and I just try to mimic everything he does,” Bailey said. “I’ve just been watching him, observing. He’s been in my ear and helping me out. … He’s always been there for me.”
McCall could’ve left the team after suffering a career-ending injury and his teammates would have understood, but that’s not the guy he is. He chose to stick it through with his guys, showing his commitment to the team.
“He’s still coming to the games, still coming to practice, coming to our meetings in the morning, still helping with the game plan, helping us out and everything,” Bailey said.
Respect is earned, not given and before he ever played a down in the redand-white, the transfer quarterback was named a captain, a leader of the Pack. He’s committed a life to football and knows what it takes to succeed at this level.
“I’d like to start on the college level if possible,” McCall said. “Hopefully I get the opportunity and I can make the best of it and we’ll go from there.”
McCall has already gotten his feet wet in coaching, joining head coach Dave Doeren and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper on the sidelines during games, practices and meetings.
His relationship and chemistry with Bailey are undeniable. Being a former player, he’s a player’s coach, so much so he doesn’t even want to be called one.
“I just asked him the other day, ‘If I was to play for you, would I call you Grayson or Coach?’” Bailey said. “He said call him OG.”
You look at the most successful coaches in any sport, they almost always have played the game themselves. The playing experience is invaluable as a coach because some things you can’t teach if you never played.
The enthusiasm from McCall to continue his football career in the coaching realm is there and I’m sure Doeren and the rest of the staff would be happy to have him as at least a quarterbacks coach assistant.
Whether McCall eventually moves on to another program, he should at least get the opportunity to start his coaching journey here in Raleigh.
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN
Redshirt freshman quarterback Lex Thomas, graduate retired quarterback Grayson McCall and freshman quarterback CJ Bailey warm up prior to NC State’s game against Stanford in Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. The Wolfpack beat the Cardinal 59-28.
BANNER GLORY
See page 13, 14
